Burley man admits to killing four people
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RUPERT — A 56-year-old Burley man agreed to spend the rest of his life in prison after pleading guilty to four murders.
According to a news release from the Cassia and Minidoka county prosecuting attorney’s offices, Benjamin Roy Naylor pleaded guilty in district court on Monday to four counts of first-degree murder.
The victims were identified as Kelly and Donna Jenks, ages 66 and 62, who were killed in their Burley home in Cassia County; 25-year-old Angelica Medina and 77-year-old Dennis Mix, who were both killed in Minidoka County.
The Minidoka County case has been transferred to Cassia County for the plea and sentencing phases.
As part of the agreement, the state will not seek the death penalty, and Naylor will be sentenced to two fixed life sentences in each county.
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Naylor has reportedly waived all appeals, ensuring he will spend the remainder of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.
His sentencing is scheduled for March 9 at 1:15 p.m. in courtroom one of the Cassia County Judicial Center in Burley.
According to the release, the families of the victims were consulted about the plea agreement and gave their approval to the resolution.
“Their input has been invaluable, and their strength during this difficult time has been extraordinary,” the release states.
“This plea agreement represents justice for the victims and their families. While no outcome can undo the devastating loss these families have endured, this resolution ensures that Benjamin Roy Naylor will never walk free again,” said Cassia County Prosecuting Attorney McCord Larsen in a statement. “The victims’ families showed tremendous courage throughout this process, and their input was critical in reaching this agreement.”
Lance Stevenson, Minidoka County prosecuting attorney, also provided a statement in the release, thanking law enforcement and the victims’ families for showing “remarkable strength and dignity.”
“This resolution brings a measure of closure to an unspeakable tragedy that has impacted our community deeply. The collaboration between our offices has been essential in achieving this outcome,” Stevenson says. “The families of the victims have shown remarkable strength and dignity. Their voices were heard, and their wishes were respected in reaching this agreement. Four consecutive life sentences mean that Benjamin Roy Naylor will be held accountable for each life he took.”
The killings
Around 3:30 p.m. on July 8, an officer with the Rupert Police Department was called to respond to a home for a report of an “unattended death that occurred under suspicious circumstances,” according to police reports.
When he arrived, he learned a woman had been found dead in the northwest bedroom of the home with “at least one gunshot wound to the head.” The woman was later identified as Medina.
Detectives found Blink doorbell footage from the home, which showed Naylor, described as having a “darker mustache and light beard, wearing a black full-brimmed hat, a camouflage print jacket, a dark-colored T-shirt with a multi-colored logo, black shorts, white socks and light-colored tennis shoes” ringing the doorbell and being greeted and allowed into the home around 1:30 p.m.
According to court documents, Naylor also had a “yellow glove on his left hand,” and his right hand was “holding a firearm tucked under his jacket on the left side of his body.”
At 6:20 p.m. that day, investigators with the Cassia County Sheriff’s Office responded to an address in Burley for a report of two people who had been shot.
When they arrived, deputies and detectives searched the home, finding Kelly Jenks lying dead on the floor of the living room with a gunshot wound to the head.
Soon after, deputies also located a deceased woman, later identified as Donna Jenks, inside a closet near the back of the house. The woman also had a gunshot wound to the head.
Deputies reportedly found video footage from earlier afternoon showing a “gold 2013 Toyota Tundra pull against the curb across the street from the residence.”
A man, later identified as Naylor, reportedly got out of the driver’s seat and walked into the home where the dead bodies were later found.
Naylor was found by police around 10 p.m. and interviewed.
After the interview, deputies were asked to check the area near Connor’s Cafe, located at 339 South 600 West in Heyburn.
They reportedly found a 2010 Ford Expedition parked behind the building, with a deceased man inside, later identified as Mix.